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Bruce Larkin, owner of Wilbooks, Inc and author of over 900 children’s books, has pledged that his company will donate 2,000 local interest books to Alameda County elementary schools in 2011. Wilbooks is a donor to the East Bay Children’s Book Project, and Larkin has even written a book about the literacy charity called “A Book For Every Child.”

“Children need to read to enjoy all of the great opportunities that our country offers. I owe my success to the excellent education I received,” Larkin said. Each year, as his business has grown, so has Larkin’s commitment to philanthropy.

Oklahoma State University’s Child Development Lab, said that Wilbooks products “give kids something they feel successful reading.” The local interest titles, which include books about California and Alameda County, are designed to pique students’ interest with topics that are relevant to them. Wilbooks is the only national educational publisher currently printing local interest titles at the state and county level.

A passionate literacy advocate, Larkin’s goal is to help teachers reach reluctant students so they can, as the teaching maxim says, “learn to read and read to learn.” Teachers or schools in Alameda County interested in receiving the local interest titles can use the custom donation order form in the free books section of www.wilbooks.com.

Wilbooks, Inc. has been publishing and distributing small, soft-cover books for pre-kindergarten through 2nd grade readers since 1998. Designed with criteria from nationally recognized reading programs in mind, the books are used in more than 50,000 schools in 91 countries. Wilbooks was started with the belief that all children deserve access to quality books. Our policy is to offer educators the books they need at the best possible price. At Wilbooks, literacy is not just our business, it’s our passion.

Bruce Larkin has written more than 900 children’s books with Wilbooks and is working towards his goal of becoming the world’s most prolific children’s book author. He enjoys making classroom visits in elementary schools around the country and writing books for the curious young minds he encounters there.